


Redemption

by Ashleigh148



Category: Watch Dogs (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Partnership
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2018-11-08 10:23:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11079627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashleigh148/pseuds/Ashleigh148
Summary: Blacklisted by the local crime organization, one lawyer aims to bring the whole damn place down. However, she cannot do it on her own, as the world becomes technologically advanced.





	1. Alone

**Audio File: Abigail Roberts #1 – Intro**

_Alright, let's do this. Holy shit, a journal, eh? I haven't even kept a diary since I was a kid and now I'm making an audio log. Alrighty then._

_My name is Abigail Maya Roberts. I'm a lawyer here in Manhattan. Life was fairly normal up until 6 months ago, when my accountant parents were both arrested for embezzlement_ _. It didn't matter than the money they stole was going to the bank accounts of families who were wronged- embezzlement was still embezzlement. I'd always considered my folks to be heroes. They actually tried to be ones in real life._

_They should have gotten behind the law if they wanted to make things right. It's what I've been doing all this time. Was the law perfect? No. But it's a start._

_At least… that's how I felt up until 3 days ago._

_That's how long it's been since my attack and I'm finally able to speak clearly, without much pain. I've just been brought home to recover; I've got a staff looking out for me 24 hours. But still… I feel alone._

_Fuckin' Randall De Luca. Leader of the Manhattan Crime Syndicate. Rumored, of course. No one's been able to prove his involvement. Everyone in the office told me not to fuck with him. Told me not to take the case. But was I supposed to do? Reject the poor woman's plea for justice for her husband, who'd been beaten half to death by his man? Hell no. I didn't become a lawyer to simply sit on my ass._

_The husband was willing to testify that De Luca's second-in-command, Gino, was the one who had done the deed. That was all I had because any physical evidence "disappeared"._

_I was trying to get into my car when someone threw a bag over my head and squeezed my neck, as if they were trying to suck the life out of me. I fell unconscious and woke up in a warehouse, where I was seated on a chair. I wasn't tied to it because one of De Luca's thugs had his giant hand weighed down on my shoulder like an anchor._

_I heard Brandon's cries for me. He was forced to his knees directly in front of me, with a revolver pointed to the side of his head._

_And then there he was, standing in front of me in his ridiculously expensive suit – Randall De Luca himself – with that stupid fucking smirk on his face. A smirk that said he had won. He told me that this case will never happen. Because he had already taken care of Rebecca and Daniel for that._

_My heart dropped to my stomach when I heard that. Rebecca was that poor woman, and Daniel was her husband, who had been beaten up by Gino._

_"_ _And now," He said, "I need to take care of you, dear Abigail."_

_Another one of his men then held a knife to my throat. I could see by his white sleeve that he was wearing a doctor's coat or something. I begged for De Luca to let Brandon go, as he had nothing to do with this. De Luca agreed, and ordered for the revolver to be lowered from Brandon's head._

_My relief was shorted lived, because De Luca's final statement to me was that an ambulance was on its way._

_That was when the knife swapped the right side of my neck. The pain coursed through me like fire and I fell to the floor, with Brandon hurrying to me and pressing his hands against my wound._

_When I woke up in the hospital, the doctors told me I was lucky. That the person who slit my neck knew exactly where to do it so that any major arteries were avoided, allowing me to live. De Luca didn't want me to die. He just wanted me to know that he could kill me._

_I just… I don't know how to explain how I feel right now. Empty, I suppose. I don't know how to function, how to move on. What did that even mean, anyway? Will I get justice for what happened to me? If so, how?_

_Everything is uncertain right now. That's just as bad as being alone._


	2. Fixed

**2013**

"Hey, gorgeous! Don't mean to interrupt your beauty sleep! But let me in!"

A series of rude knockings on her balcony screen door woke her up from her blissful sleep. With a moan, she sat up, cracking open one eye to look at her clock that read "4:04 AM". Abigail sluggishly threw her legs over and got to her feet, fatigue having completely consumed her. She dragged herself from her bedroom to the living room, where she could meet the interrupter of her sleep at the balcony. "Jesus Fucking Christ, Jordi, it's 4 in the morning, you better-"

Looking at the fixer, it was then she noticed the blood seeping from his right side and onto his red shirt. "Oh my God," The words escaped her mouth as she hurried to unlocked the keypad on her screen door. "Get in!" She ordered, pulling him into her living room and shutting the screen door. "Get on the couch!"

"If I wasn't bleeding, that would have sounded sexy."

"Now's not the time, Jordi!" She yelled from her bedroom, where she had run off to in order to retrieve her first aid kit. When she returned, she assisted in getting him seated on the couch, before running into her kitchen to get a bowl of water and a set of clean cloths.

She sat the items down on the ground in front of the couch. "Pull away your hand. Let me see."

Jordi Chin did as he was told and removed his hand. Abigail lifted his blood-stained shirt to see the poorly-applied plaster. Knowing she needed to work fast, she began to re-dress his wound. "This is terrible work, Jordi!" She chided, having expected better from the man.

"I was thrown off a goddamn lighthouse. Fucked up my left arm. Gimme a break!" He responded antagonistically.

"Well, what the hell did you get yourself into?!" She questioned just as aggressively.

He clenched his teeth together when she pressed the cloth against his cut. "Contract that went wrong. Note to self: hackers don't play fair in the battlefield."

"We kinda don't," She remarked sarcastically, with a hint of a smile. "Where are you coming from, anyway?"

"Chicago."

"It's gotta be a half a day's drive to Manhattan!"

"Took a plane… and a handful of painkillers…" He occasionally glanced down to see whether Abigail was potentially making everything worse with his wound.

"Damn. You're tougher than I give you credit for."

"Aw, gorgeous, don't say that. You give me plenty of credit. It's why I like having you around!"

A thing with Jordi was that she could never tell whether he was being sarcastic or not. She figured that after all these years, she would have been able to decipher it by now. It was never the case. "Because I appreciate you?" She followed that sentence with fluttering eyes.

"You know, I think that's why we work together so well!" Jordi glanced up at her ceiling in wistful thought. "Why I somehow, find myself back here, on your couch. Though I'd prefer your bed. With you in it, of course." He added for verification.

She could only shake her head at that, her smirk doing all the talking. "Alright. There we go."

He heaved a sigh of relief, his head resting comfortably on her couch's armrest. "You're a doll, gorgeous."

"You're welcome," She started to put her medical supplies back into the case. "Look, I stitched it up the best I could, just like how you taught me. But I don't know if you hurt anything internally. You really need to see a doctor."

"I can see my guy about it tomorrow, when he gets here. But if I had fucked up anything inside, I wouldn't be breathing."

"If you say so," She shrugged her shoulders at him. "But if you die on me, I'll kill you."

Jordi raised an eyebrow at that, trying to take in the ridiculousness in her sentence. "Good to know."

"I need the most reliable Fixer to stay alive if I'm gonna continue my work."

"Now, you know I can't die without seeing your gorgeous little face once more before that,"

"You stupid fuck," She comment in between chuckles as she made her way back to her kitchen. "Coffee?"

"Scotch."

"Water with some painkillers. That's all you're getting."

"Aw, mom, pleeeeeeease?"


	3. Aftermath

**2011**

**Audio File: Abigail Roberts #2 - Aftermath**

_I'm back at work after 5 weeks. I have to wear a scarf because of the scar. It's so bloody visible. Certainly don't want to scare away any future clients._

_When I walked in, Bill, my boss, had the entire office stand up for a welcome back ovation. These people – some of whom I've worked with for years together – not one person had a sincere smile on their faces. All I saw was uneasiness. Agitation._

_I went to see Brandon, only to find him packing this things. He was going to leave the firm – on the day that I return? Of course, I didn't know about any of this, because he'd never once come to see me or call me or text me during these 5 weeks. The whole ordeal had spooked him. He was afraid of me, afraid of what else I could bring about, after that encounter with De Luca. And I believe the whole office knew that as well._

_I gave him back the ring and begged him to stay with the firm. He said that he wasn't gonna change his mind. So I figured that I'd try again later._

_For the rest of the day, I tried talking to some of my colleagues, but no one could even make eye contact with me. I felt my stomach twist by the minute. Really though: they wanted to avoid me like I was the plague. I couldn't believe it. Seems like no one wanted me back._

_About half an hour ago, I was called to Bill's office. And what we talked about in there… while I understand his anxiety, it won't take the sting away._

_Someone's outside my office. I'll continue this log later._

* * *

 

Abigail hit the 'STOP' button on her phone and returned to her desk, after having strolled up and down her office to record her audio log. "Come in!" She chirped as sincerely as she could muster, adjusting her brown hair that had been tied into a bun.

A blonde-haired, grey-eyed young man popped his head in, wide grin on his face and a bouquet of red roses in his hands. "Surprise!"

"Oh, darlin'!" The lawyer couldn't help but squeal those words out as she hurried her way to him, almost tripping over her maroon high heels. "These are absolutely beautiful! You shouldn't have!"

"Come on, Abby. You know I had to," Daryl Jackson gave her the biggest hug he could muster. "Plus, I missed your welcome back celebration earlier; I was at court. I would have clapped the loudest for you."

The mention of the celebration caused her to fall silent, just for a second. She was thankful that she was still in the embrace, so that he wouldn't have been able to view her face. "I don't doubt that," Assembling a beaming smile, she pulled back. "You were… always supportive. No matter what."

She caught the hint of confusion on his smiling face, and then his eyes wandered to her desk and the area surrounding it. "W-what's with the boxes?"

"Oh, um…" Abby's fingers toyed with the petals as she attempted to answer her intern. However, she knew that she couldn't lie her way out of this one. "I'm leaving, darlin'. I can't work here anymore."

"WHAT?" Daryl exclaimed. "Abby, where's this coming from?"

She held the bouquet close to her chest. "Maybe it was a good thing you weren't here when I walked in. Everyone may have been clapping but… their faces told a very different story – one that said they wished I'd never returned."

"Oh, come on, that cannot be true!"

"Like I said – you weren't there."

"Well, what does Bill have to say about all this?"

Bill Watson – one of the law firm's partners, and Abigail's boss. "Uh…" She heaved a sigh, knowing full well that her intern would not take what she was about to say lightly. "Bill called me into his office earlier. Wanted me to go see a therapist, get a psychological evaluation. To see if I'm fit to continue working here. Either that, or he'd have to release me from the firm."

"He WHAT?"

"Darlin', he's just thinking of the firm, and he has a right to do so. This _is_ De Luca we're talking about."

"But, to threaten you?!"

"Bill didn't threaten me, darlin', he gave me choice," Abby then produced a little smirk. "And as always, I took my way."

"Abby, come on," He took her hands into this in a pleading manner. "This can't be the end!"

She knew how fiercely loyal her darlin' was to her. When he had first arrived, he was shy, lacking in confidence. However, she turned that all around in a matter of weeks after taking him under her wing and providing him with the assurance that he needed to succeed so that he wouldn't drown. She pulled away one hand from his grasp in order to pat his round cheek. "You're gonna love my office. It only makes sense that you take over after I leave."

"I don't _want_ to take over, I wanna continue working for you!"

"You're not gonna be my intern forever. And you've proved that by taking over my cases while I was gone! It would be wasteful to keep you as an intern. I will recommend to Bill that you take over for me from now on."

Daryl took a moment to study her face. "You're really serious about this,"

"I am," She said with a nod. "And I'm really sorry, darlin', but nothing you can say will change my mind about this. Darlin'," She needed to make him understand just how severe the whole situation was. So with a deep breath and both her hands latched to his cheeks, she told him, "Nevermind the cold shoulders I've been getting since I walked in. But did you know that you're the _only_ person who came to visit me at home during these 5 weeks?"

His facial muscles scrunched, refusing to believe that. "That… that can't be. Everyone loves you, Abby,"

She shook her head. "Not as much as I thought. It's during times like these that you find out who your true friends are. And I'm looking at the only one I've got."

"I'm always gonna be your friend, Abby," A smile returned to his face as he ran his hand up her arm comfortingly. "Mob boss or not. I mean… you're the coolest person I know and like, the coolest boss I've ever had."

She couldn't contain the chuckles that easily escaped her throat. "Thank you, darlin'." And she couldn't contain the massive hug she enclosed her former intern in.


	4. The King Fixer

**2011**

"This is amazing," Abigail had been completely lost in thought as she stood at the pier, gazing into the open sea, never hearing the footsteps coming up from behind her. Only that ostentatious male voice brought her back to reality. "I mean, I had no idea that the Roberts had a kid. Why were they hiding you all this time from me?"

She exhaled, and tossed the cigarette into the water. "Reasons that I'm sure I'll find out soon enough," So this was the fixer her parents spoke off. Chinese-American, and they were not kidding about the fancy suit. "Jordi Chin, I take it?" She didn't mean to hold her hand out to him; it was just a force of habit.

Much to her pleasant surprise, Jordi took her hand in a grip. "At your service, gorgeous. I've worked for your folks are a long time and they've always made it worth my while. I hope you'll do the same thing, so that I know I'm not wasting my time."

"That depends on whether _you_ waste _my_ time."

"Ouch. Kitty's got claws," His _hands_ rose up, wiggling his fingers at her, as if they were indeed claws. "What do you need?"

"First off, I wanna ask if you know about the Manhattan Crime Syndicate here,"

His mouth twisted to the side as he let out a thoughtful hum. "I know that a big bad wolf by the name of De Luca runs it, though no one's been able to tie him to any of the crimes they're committed," He began to step towards her, a devilish smile forming on his lips. "I did hear, however, about a lawyer who stuck her nose in where it didn't belong. Got a nasty booboo because of it."

Abigail flashed a smirk as she nodded. "Sure," She pulled down her navy blue infinity scarf, one to match her off shoulder black dress, to reveal her 6-week old scar. "A 'booboo'."

"Ouch," He commented coolly, bending over to get a close look. "So I take it that you want revenge? Boring, but alright. I may be amazing, gorgeous, but it's gonna take an entire fucking army to reach De Luca and slice his throat."

"I don't want to kill him,"

Jordi raised an eyebrow at that. "… You don't?"

She readjusted her scarf as she proceeded to explain herself. "Not yet, fancy-pants. De Luca has destroyed many people over the years. So I wanna destroy him. Piece by piece. To start off, I wanna burn something to the ground."

"Oooooh, arson!" He rubbed his hands together in glee. "It's been a while since I burned something. Alright, gorgeous. I'll take the job."

"Great! Thank you, Mr. Chin, I appreciate it,"

He then wiggled a finger at her. "Ah, ah, ah. I'm not doing this for free, you know,"

"Of course," She concurred, keeping her smile. "I have the money ready,"

"Good. And it's Jordi, gorgeous. We don't need all the formalities; I can tell we're gonna be great friends."

Abigail could not help but tilt her head at him, almost as if she was unamused. "If that's what you believe…"

"So the place you're looking at?"

"Vici's. A bar run by one of his cousins,"

"Alright. I'll look into the employees, check who comes in and leave at what time so I can find my point of entry."

"Give me some credit, Jordi. I'm gonna take down a mob boss and his entire operation. I have plans within plans."

"Oh? You have my attention,"

"De Luca is having ctOS systems installed into his establishments, bit by bit. Vici's was the first. De Luca also uses many of his establishments to move drugs, weapons, and even humans. Vici's contains drugs, and lots of them. My hacker got into Vici's security cameras, so we have their employee's movements," From her purse, she fished out a tiny slip of paper and handed it to the fixer. "We have an employee's code you can use to easily get in. My hacker is ready to erase the record at which the code will be used."

He accepted the slip of paper, took one glance at the code, and promptly crushed it in his fist. "Wow, gorgeous. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I apologize for being quick to judge. You're not like all my other rich, dumbass clients."

"Thanks. I think." She added the two words after a brief pause.

"When am I doing this?"

"Tomorrow, just after closing," She took a step closer to him, as if to emphasize what she was about to say next. "There's another two grand in this for you, if you can somehow render every one of the employees working tomorrow unconscious and drag them out before you set the place on fire. I'd like to see the dumb looks on their faces when they realize that their place of employment's burning down, just like their futures with De Luca."

Jordi had another 'hm' in response to that. "I'd normally pop 'em and be done, instead of all this extra work, but hey, you're paying me right? I'll do whatever you want."

"Then I look forward to your master performance."

"Bring popcorn."


	5. Torched

**2011**

**Audio File: Abigail Roberts #3 - The King Fixer**

_I've met with the fixer my parents occasionally hired – Jordi Chin. He's… charismatic, to say the least. Big mouth. I must admit that he made me smile genuinely and it's been a very long time since I've smiled. So I can appreciate that._

_I'm at the 24 hour café opposite Vici's, waiting for the fireworks to start. It's 4am and they've closed for the night. My fixer should be doing his job right about now._

* * *

Abigail sipped on her coffee, never taking her emerald green eyes off the bar opposite her. She took in a deep breath of the cool night air, as if to calm herself. She wondered why she was nervous; it wasn't as if _she_ was the one doing all the work. She could only hope that Jordi would come through and that she wasn't wasting her money.

No sooner that she thought those words, she caught a glimpse of an orange light from within Vici's. She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at the sight, all the while a devilish smile forming on her lips.

The next thing she knew the light became brighter and brighter, until there became no doubt that there was a fire coming from Vici's.

"Hiya, gorgeous. You came to see the show?" The fixer caught a seat opposite her, sporting his usual smirk. No one would have guessed that he had just torched an entire bar.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," She could hear the commotion coming from the few De Luca men who were working on this night, and now who could not enter their place of employment. "I'm impressed. You did as I asked. Were they hard to handle?" She asked as she pulled out a cigarette from its pack.

"Ol' Jordi likes a challenge."

"Glad I was able to provide you with one," She lit up the cigarette with a snap of her Zippo lighter, before reaching into her purse for an envelope. "You did amazing work," She complimented further and slid the envelope over to him. "My folks were right to hire you."

Jordi immediately picked up his payment and stuffed it into the inner pocket of his grey coat. "Well, who else would they hire?"

"How modest of you,"

"Just laying out the truth, gorgeous,"

"Huh," She exhaled as she let the word leave her, smoke dancing all around. "Can I ask you something?" She almost struggled to ask, however she had quite a lot of time to think about it, while waiting for Vici's to burn. She might as well ask, as long as the fixer was in front of her. "Whenever my folks hired you… did they ever ask you to… murder anyone?"

He titled her head at her, keeping his smile, but found her question intriguing. "You ask me that like you're uncertain."

"I _am_ uncertain,"

"Well then, obviously, you don't know your own parents,"

"Of course I don't. They were embezzling money for _years_. I never thought they were capable of being criminals,"

"Your folks stole all that money just to give it back to the people that their own company screwed over. In some circles, your folks would be considered heroes. Isn't that good enough for you?"

She paused for a new seconds, before answering, "No."

"Well, they're not in jail for murder,"

She growled frustratingly, glaring at him. "That doesn't answer my question, Jordi. It just raises more!"

He produces a full-blown grin, seemingly done with messing with Abigail. "I'm just fuckin' with ya. No, gorgeous. I never murdered anyone for them. Just roughed people up, gave a few black eyes, broke a few bones."

"For what?"

"To intimidate your folks' bosses. You see, the higher-ups were committing fraud. Cheating clients out of their money, while using any legal loopholes they could find. But some of those crying clients? Well, they wouldn't shut up. So those bosses used… _lesser_ fixers to keep them quiet."

'Lesser'. Said with a bad taste in his mouth. Clearly, Jordi was adamant about being the King of all the Fixers. "I knew it," She said the words with numerous nods. "I knew my parents were not capable of murder. Even if they hired someone else to do it."

"Feel better now?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," She took a drag of her almost-forgotten lit cigarette.

"Good, because I got bored 5 minutes ago and wanted to fucking leave."

She broke into chuckles, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. But before you go, there's just one more thing. I'm told that you move around."

"I go wherever I want," He said triumphantly.

"I want to make you a proposal,"

"Oh, my answer's yes, gorgeous. I'd marry you."

"Not that kind of proposal!"

"Now you're tryin' to break my heart!" He told her appallingly, hand over his heart.

She shook off his words with a shake of her head and a playful scowl. "Whenever you come back here, I'd like you to give me a call. I'm sure I'll always have something for you to do."

"Fine by me," Jordi stood up, ready to leave. "Oh, but even if you've got nothing for me, you still gonna call? Don't leave a guy hanging, gorgeous."


	6. On The Contrary

**Audio File: Abigail Roberts #4 - Baby Cousin**

_Anita came to visit me today. It's always nice to see her. That adorable little girl never failed to lift my spirits over the years, but this time, it's different. Ever since the attack, I've felt as if a part of me has died. Can't even bring myself to smile; all I've got are fakes. I couldn't contain my smile however, when Anita came over with chocolate chip cookies. She baked the best, after all._

_"There must be something I can do to help, Cousin Abby," She said to me. I didn't know how she could help. Even if she could, I couldn't allow it. I knew I was fucking insane thinking that I could take down the Syndicate, but I had to. They had to pay for what they did to me, and what they've been doing to people over these years._

_I had plans to burn down one of their establishments – a bar. The only problem was that De Luca left me alive. I'm sure his entire pack of goons knew my name and face. I didn't know how to get in, let alone commit arson. Even if I did get inside, who'd be there?_

_"Your good ol' cousin is gonna try to do something extremely stupid, which I'd really like it if I could keep you safe from, Annie. If you could, I don't know, like hack into some security cameras, that'd be great," I said._

_Of course, I meant it as a joke. She smiles at me and asks, "What's the name of the place?"_

_I told her the name and the next thing I know? She's pulling up a bunch of security feeds on that laptop of hers that I never see her without. They were Vici's security cameras._

_That's when I realized that my beautiful baby cousin was a hacker._

_"I'm not as innocent as you might think, Abby. I can be bad too. Especially when it comes to people who try to fuck with my cousin." She said._

_I didn't know whether to laugh and hug her. So I did both._

* * *

**2011**

Abigail killed the engine of her motorcycle and got off, wistfully staring at the establishment in front of her. With a hefty sigh, she adjusted her infinity scarf, just before entering the bar.

A silence fell over the occupants of the bar and almost all eyes were on the former lawyer. It was so quiet that she could feel the bass of the heavy metal music that was playing in the background thumping in her heart. "What? Can't a girl get a drink?"

"Everyone – _hands off_ the lawyer," A single voice belonging to a female bellowed across the room. "I don't care who's painted a target on her back, she's _always_ welcome here. And if you don't like it, go somewhere else to drink. I certainly don't want judgmental bitches in my bar."

There were murmurs, and then there was the shifting of chairs, before everyone went back to their drinks and conversations.

Abigail let out a wordless sigh before making her way to meet up with the neon pink-haired bartender. "You… didn't have to do that, B,"

"Of course I had to. These people don't know you – the real you. But I do," The bartender placed an empty glass in front of her before she proceeded to put the contents of several bottles into a cocktail shaker and shake it up. "You're always trying to do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. You're incredibly brave, especially going after De Luca's men."

Abigail found herself a seat at the bar table, just in front of the bartender herself. "And look what it got me…"

The bartender halted her action. "Let me see," The women's eyes met. "We may not be dating anymore, but I still love every part of you. Come on. Let me see,"

Without a single word, Abigail pulled down her blue infinity scarf. Her face scrunching, the bartender then asked, "Can you drink?" She poured the contents of the cocktail shaker into the empty glass and pushed it forward towards the lawyer.

"My favorite…" A smile formed on her face. "Thanks, Blair," Abigail reached into the inner pocket of her leather jacket to retrieve her packet of cigarettes and Zippo lighter. "You still let people smoke in this place?"

"Yeah, I do…" Blair verified, but not without the confusion present in her voice. "Abby, you kicked the habit years ago."

"Things are different now, B. Very different."

"I've never seen you so defeated."

"You would be too if you got your neck sliced open."

"How are you still alive?"

"You'd know, B, if you'd came to visit,"

To that, Blair pulled an apologetic look and massaged the back of her neck. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, it's just-"

"Hey, I get it. This is a helluva popular bar, you need to give your all to keep it running. Plus, even though it's never been proven, everyone knows that De Luca did this to me. Who'd want to have anything to do with me?"

"If you really believe that, you wouldn't be here,"

Abigail answered with a sly smile. "Just wanted to try my luck at having my favorite drink in the best bar in Manhattan."

"Like I said, you're always welcome here, honey," turned the smile. "And no, the bar's not the reason why I'm busy," She paused, as if to collect herself. "It's mom,"

Immediately, Abigail understood where her ex was getting that. "She's getting worse?"

"Yeah. So I haven't exactly been in a good place."

"You've got your sisters, don't you?"

"Yeah. We're adjusting."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Blair held up her hands in defense, stopping Abigail from going any further. "Whoa, no. No, no. The last thing I want is your help. You've got too much on your plate."

"I can help pay for a nurse."

Blair snapped her fingers and then pointed just one at the lawyer, her face scrunching. "You know, I knew that was coming."

"Promise me you'll think about it?" Abigail asked.

"Yeah, I will," Blair told her in a seemingly sincere manner with the lowering of her head, but then she quickly followed with, "Okay I thought about it: no."

Somehow, Abigail was not surprised. "Promise me that you'll come to me if you decide to get one?"

"If I say yes, you'll shut up and drink your booze?" Blair questioned as she proceeded to pour herself a glass of whiskey.

"Yeah," Abigail replied in a laugh upon seeing the annoyed look on Blair's sharp features.

"Then I promise." With a satisfied smirk, the ladies pressed their glasses together. "So what's your plan now?"

"I'm leaving the law firm. Collecting the last of my stuff tomorrow. There's no point, Blair. Nobody wants to interact with me. They're treating me like I'm poison."

Blair glared at her as if she just said the world's most offensive thing. "So that's it? You're giving up?"

"On the fucking contrary. De Luca's gonna pay for what he did," That was when a heavy sigh escaped from her mouth. "If only I knew where to start."

"Maybe you should ask your folks. Did they ever hire anyone to help them out?"

"What, like a hitman?"

With a shake of her head, the bartender said, "A fixer."


	7. Beginning Steps

**2012**   
**Lincoln Correctional Facility**

"Baby… it's so good to see you! How are you feeling?"

"Like I got my throat sliced open," Abigail replied in a murmur, but loud enough for her mother to hear her as she sat down opposite her in this surprise visit. "I'm good, mommy. I had the best doctors and caretakers."

Maya took her daughter's hands in a quick grip, before pulling away before the guards could stop her. "I'm glad you're okay, baby. You look… strong. Very strong."

"Rage can do wonders, I guess," She said in another mumble, and continued to speak before her mother could say anything. "Okay, mommy, this is important. When you and daddy were… doing what you did… did you ever hire anyone? Someone to clean up after?"

Of course, Maya furrowed her eyebrows at her daughter. "What? Baby-"

"Just tell me no, or give me a name if it's a yes."

"Baby, what's this about? Why would you ask me such a thing?"

"You know why."

"I don't!" Maya sat up straighter in defense. "You're asking me for a fixer."

That was enough for Abigail to know. "So you did have one."

"Abby, that's not the point. Why would you even need one?" Maya questioned.

"It's best that you don't know, mommy." She averted her mother's gaze.

"Don't give me that, Abigail. What the hell are you up to?"

"Is it obvious, mommy? I want to take De Luca down, but I'm gonna need some help."

"'Take De Luca down'? Are you insane?"

"Everybody used to say that it was my best quality,"

"This is not a joke, Abby,"

"I'm not joking, mommy. I want to bring his empire down!" Abigail took a glance around, realizing that she had raised her voice. "Please, if you have a fixer or-or anybody that helps clean up any messes, I need him. I can't do this alone."

"You don't have to do _anything_! You're gonna put yourself in further danger if you do this!" It killed Maya that she could not reached for and hold her daughter's hands in comfort. "Please, baby, you have to drop this. He let you off the hook. Pack and up move away from this city! Far away from his reach!"

"And leave you and Daddy?"

"We're fine in here," Maya assured with a tiny smile. "Really. We'll be out in a couple of years and once we are, we can join you at wherever you are! Where you'll be safe and _alive_."

"I can't just run away like a coward! I'm not that kind of person! I've faced threats before during my time as lawyer, and I fought them all head on!"

"But none of them tried to slit your throat." Maya countered.

Abigail stared into her mother's bronzed face wistfully. "If you and Daddy weren't in jail right now, you can't expect me to believe that you would have taken me away from Manhattan. No, I don't believe that for a second. You would have fought for my honor. After all, it turned out that you two weren't simply accountants. I'd expect that you'd be capable of many things."

Maya fell silent at that, though her eyes never left her only daughter's face. "Your father wanted to spend every remaining money we had hiring our top fixer to go after De Luca by any means necessary. In his own words, he said that he wanted that son of a bitch's head on display outside of the mayor's office."

Hearing her father's wishes through her mother steered puzzlement within the former lawyer. "You're… in touch with Daddy? From where you are?"

"You're right, baby: we're capable of many things," Maya produced a smirk at that, before it faded away. "And De Luca did that to your beautiful neck. He mutilated my perfect girl," Her broke cracked slightly at the end of her sentence, but she regained her composure and then said, "His name is Jordi Chin. Once we utilized his skills, we never asked for anyone else. He's _very_ exclusive. I'll set it up and if he's in town, he'll contact you."

A true smile finally formed on Abigail's maroon-colored lips. "Thank you, mommy."

"Take that piece of shit down. And please, don't get hurt."


End file.
